'Disappointing' full route of vital weekday bus service could not be saved says MP
A Stoke-on-Trent MP has said he is "disappointed" a vital weekday bus service cannot be retained in its entirety after it had to be saved from being axed completely from timetables.
It was announced on Monday that the weekday number 40 bus service will operate on a new route, using money from the Bus Service Improvement Plan, as it was at risk of being cut from timetables from April 14.
Despite the service now being secured, the revised weekday route of the number 40 has effectively been cut in half, meaning some passengers will have to catch a connecting bus in Longton if they wish to travel into the city centre.
Stoke-on-Trent Central MP, Gareth Snell, said: "It is disappointing that the current route has not been retained in its entirety and I will continue to push for a direct service between Mount Pleasant, Stoke and Hanley.
"However, I am thankful that Mount Pleasant won't be without a bus service altogether."
Bus operator D&G said the route had become commercially unviable and the revised route will be operated by First Potteries from 14 April after a successful bid to Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
The weekend service is unaffected by the changes and will continue to operate between Newstead and Hanley as normal as the 40A service.
The number 40 service will run on weekdays from Beech Grove in Mount Pleasant at 09:56, 10:56, 11:56 and 13:56, towards Longton and onto Blurton and Newstead.
From the Wimbourne Avenue shops in Newstead the weekday 40 service will operate towards Longton hourly - the first at 9:30 and last at 14:30.
Blurton Cllr Lorraine Beardmore said: "A lot of my residents are of an older generation who use that service and they don't want to go into town on a Saturday when working people are going into the towns as they are a lot busier - they want to be able to go in the week.
"The removal of the route would have taken away their independence, leaving them to rely on taxis or family members to get there.
"And it is a two-fold problem as it then takes away money from Longton as a town which we desperately need to spend money in to keep it as a town so I'm pleased the service is back.
"We are losing a lot of banks in Longton, so the next problem will be for those people getting to Hanley.
Luckily there are connections in Longton to get them there but people who are older dont necessarily always want to swap and change buses but I'm so pleased it is back."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council recently announced that the additional funding, secured from the Department for Transport, will be used to improve four problem junctions in the city where bus passengers are currently experiencing frustrating delays.
It will also be used to install new lighting and additional security measures at Hanley and Longton bus stations and continue to improve links between Etruria Valley, neighbouring retail parks, the city centre and Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station.
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